The post about the member here getting a ludicrously high quote for an electric receptacle installation got me to thinking about my dealings lately with contractors.

Are they all just insanely busy everywhere right now?

We are doing a kitchen gut renovation starting August 22 and I had to line up the contractor 18 months ago that’s how busy he was.

As a part of this we are putting in a large new window over the new sink location and closing off the old one. This masonary contractor I had been using gave me a quote that seemed extremely high: $3,750 to do the steel header and brickwork on the new window and brick in the old one. Our house is block and brick construction.

I asked the kitchen contractor if he knew of anyone else we could get a second quote from and he gave me one but the guy is very hard to deal with, he ghosts you for weeks at a time, I understand people are busy but FFS how hard is it to text or call me back?

I finally got the kitchen contractor involved to basically kick him in the ass about if he wanted to do the job or not and he came back with a quote for $1600, and the contractor said he’s done good work for him in the past so we are going with him.

I referred my HVAC guy to a friend who bought a house, this guy didn’t return my friends call for so long and ended up pissing him off and making me look bad.

I get that you are busy, but if you are so busy you can’t deal with clients and communication then maybe you should hire someone to do that?

What are some of your fun stories dealing with contractors?

Sad to say the MAJORITY behvave this way. It is not a question of being busy.

I think the contractors on this forum could give the best answers. Think of physicians operating in this manner.

Rule of thumb with me at this point....I refer no one anymore. I referred a tree service guy I'd used a couple of times and had great dealings with to a neighbor. He didn't show up on the agreed upon date and when he did, he did half ass work culminating with him running his bucket truck into the back corner of her roof. And when she complained, he packed up and left leaving a huge mess on the ground. I felt so bad, I repaired her roof for her for the cost of materials.

Hiring anyone today is a total crap shoot. Until things slow down and these guys want for work again, dealing with them is going to suck.

My three-month contracting job is taking a year.

No people, no supplies, covid, busy insanity.

I changed the job to be smaller than it was supposed to be.

The average age of the guys working is in the fifties.

Everyone is complaining they can't get help.

One guy said he lost a guy and has so much work he is not bidding anymore work for a while.

Construction is going to be nuts without people going into the trades.

The Masonary contractor I mentioned in the OP that gave me the higher estimate did go out and hire a girl that all she does is answer the phone, schedules him, writes up the quotes and answers emails, texts people; all that kind of stuff and it took a huge amount of pressure off of him. He’s just a small shop with a couple workers I think but I do give him credit for realizing that he can’t do that part any more.

I'm on my 4th GC for a major house reno since January. Thankfully they have shown their true colors before contracts are signed or money exchange, but it's not made for an easy time since the house needs reno before it can be lived in.

There wasn't much work I could get out of my roof contractor after he was in jail for Violating a Contract, Theft by Contract, etc.

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:
I understand people are busy but FFS how hard is it to text or call me back?

That was my response when a fella in town was defending a guy who didn't call me back.

I had him come over to eyeball a deck project that I wanted to do (replacing rails with cables, and a few other things). He looked it over, gave me a ballpark figure, and agreed to get back to me within a week or two. Crickets.

Three weeks later I called him to ask what was up and his response was rather curt. I asked him to give me a heads up when he was able to do the job. I've heard nothing from him since.

I relayed the story to the fella in town and he said, "Oh yeah, I know Chris and he's busy as hell". I told him nobody is too busy for a 30 second phone call.

I've since steered a number of people away from him. It ain't just my job he lost.

I mentioned this in a similar thread, but my flooring didn't have any problems at all.

Asked for a quote, guy shows up a couple of days later, measures every room, makes copious notes, leaves. The next day I get the quote and accepted it.

The flooring and moisture barrier and other materials needed showed up a week or so later, the flooring had to become acclimated before they would install it, so they waited a week.

The installers showed up last Monday at 8:30, worked til 3:20 pulling up the old linoleum, carpeting and tile plus starting to lay down the dog proof and waterproof flooring (fake Oak). Got about half of the flooring installed (we had 1,100 square feet done).

Tuesday the installers showed up at 7:20 and left at 3:40 and everything was done, I'd done my walk through and thus far can't find anything to put on a punch list.

And as a plus, the contract stated they wouldn't move any electronics or turn on/off any gas or water. In actuality, they moved some electronics and turned off/on the water on the clothes washer and the ice maker with no complaints.

I'm happy.

Good news travels fast. Bad news travels faster.

These contractors that are “too busy” to call you back better realize that the pendulum is going to swing the other way someday soon.

I have to give it to the one guy I spoke to a few years ago for his honesty, he just basically told me right to my face “yeah, not interested in doing that for you”, I guess it was just too small a job.

I manage a very professional $6M/yr residential exteriors company - windows/siding/roofing. One of the (many) differences between us and most of the "Chuck-In-A-Truck" contractors is that we answer the phones, return calls and emails promptly, and do what we say we'll do, when we say we'll do it.

My opinion is that many small contractors are very good at their trade, but poor businessmen in many regards. They may save you some money, but much of the time you will get poor responsiveness, timeless, and service after the sale. Just imagine - if they can't bother to call you back to get the sale, do the work, and get paid; how do you think that will go when you need them for warranty support?

Many contractors of all stripes are so flooded with work, that they're putting out "screw you" pricing on their bids, because they will get someone to pay those kind of prices, and stay busy anyways. Pretty sad.

I agree that it’s a supplied demand thing right now.

I remember after 2008 you could pick up true craftsman and cabinet builders for next to nothing. I redid a whole kitchen with handmade cabinets for the same price you can go to Home Depot.

Things are cyclic.

I called a contractor my neighbor used for his deck. Guy said he would be out at 8am to take a look. No call, no show. He finally calls around 4pm and he asks if he can stop by in a half hour.

A window company was to come out at prescheduled time. My wife left work early to be home. They call at that time and say they are not going to make it and are finishing another job in XZY town. I know XYZ town is a solid hour plus away. You knew earlier in the day you were not going to make it.

Surprised no one has mentioned the work ethic, free government money and addiction as possible factors. I do not buy this everybody is too busy. Sure some are busy but visit the local tavern or pool hall before quitting time.

quote:

Originally posted by sig2392:
Construction is going to be nuts without people going into the trades.

Yeah, but a least you can get a fancy latte expertly crafted by a professional 'caffeine drinkologist' that's college graduate (w/ a gender studies degree! ) at Starbucks...

quote:

Originally posted by bigdeal:
Rule of thumb with me at this point....I refer no one anymore. <snip>

^^^This.

I hired one of Dale the Builder's guys to do a roof job for me. Did it over a weekend, on time, on budget and did a good job. Young guy, hard worker with a family so I wanted to get the word out.

Recommended him to two people and he did a half-assed job for both and ghosted them on call-backs. My next door neighbor hired him on my word and had to call another roofer to come in and re-do it properly.

Never. Again.

Two weeks ago started calling to get estimate cost on replacing the house AC system... several replied it would be several days before anyone could respond and some said due to lack of supplies could be days or weeks or longer before all supplies could be acquired....Actually found someone who came out the day I called and could start the job the next day. .Got more product and better warranty w/service contract than any of the other vendors that replied.. Actual install time was 6 hours for a total removal and replace of home AC System with only 2 employees who busted their backsides and got the job done... Will recomend their services if asked but with a warning that they might be as lucky as I was.......... ........ drill sgt.

I work for a site developer, we do many things from marine work, barges/cranes etc to utities. We used to do a lot of residential work but very little anymore. I won’t even recommend the company I work for because they are terrible about returning calls, getting back with people. It’s actually embarrassing sometimes. After being with them 38 yrs, I know plenty of contractors from plumbers, electricians, etc and it pains me to say I know longer give recommendations to anyone as this now seems to be the normal unfortunately. I’m more inclined to recommend guys that do side work.

There are contractors from many states in LA rebuilding people houses after two years of major hurricanes. So those that aren’t have much more work